BUZZ Dana White says Jon Jones is not afraid to fight Tom Aspinall; no bout booked

Dana White has answered the loudest complaint about Jon Jones: that he is avoiding Tom Aspinall. According to ESPN, the UFC CEO said Jones is not afraid to fight the British heavyweight. A denial is not a booking, though, and nothing in the reporting points to a date, an event or a signed agreement.

The comment lands in a heavyweight division that is hard to read. Ciryl Gane is the undisputed champion and defends the belt against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 on Nov. 14. Gane got there after title fights against Aspinall and Alex Pereira, and the matchup has drawn criticism of how title shots are being handed out.

The sharpest critic is Alexander Volkov, the No. 2-ranked contender. Before UFC 333 he told MMA Fighting the belt is drifting away from pure merit, saying fighters can now get title shots for "just being more famous." He also pointed to fouls Gane committed in the UFC White House fight and called Hokit a showman.

Volkov then beat Rizvan Kuniev 30-27 on the cards at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi. TSN's Aaron Bronsteter wrote on X that it was a solid night that could earn Volkov a title shot, depending on Aspinall's health. That adds a question the White comment does not touch: Aspinall's availability is now part of the title discussion.

Pereira, 0-1 at heavyweight, is also in the mix. He faces Sergei Pavlovich in the co-main event of UFC 335 on Dec. 12, and a win could put him back in line for a shot.

Jones is 39, and the only thing that settles the ducking talk is a fight announcement. Until one arrives, the next real heavyweight answer is Gane against Hokit on Nov. 14.